A few years ago, most of us would have scoffed at the idea of a hybrid Porsche 911. But now we live in the era of high-performance hybrids like Porsche's own 918 Spyder, and the idea isn't so silly anymore. But while we've suspected Porsche has been testing a hybrid 991 911, the idea is apparently off the table for now.
At the launch of the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Porsche's hybrid powertrain manager Manfred Schürmann told Top Gear that the smaller Porsche Macan SUV won't get a hybrid variant, saying the packaging wouldn't work.
But what we really care about is a 911 hybrid, and a company spokesman said that's unlikely, at least for the current 991:
Not just yet, though, a spokesman tells us. Porsche bosses wouldn't rule out the arrival of a 911 hybrid within the next 15 years, but told us the current 991-generation 911 won't get plug-in tech. It looks unlikely for the generation that replaces it, too.
I don't want to say it's a bummer, but I will say that I thought the 997 GT3R Hybrid — with its 40,000 RPM electric flywheel power generator — was a pretty kickass idea. At this point, if the 911 went hybrid, it would only add to the car's performance.
Yay or nay on a 911 that also harnesses the magical power of electricity?